ENERGY

RESOURCES/
SOURCES
GNED 1101

Please read Textbook 2 (available on D2L under “course resources”),

Chapter 2: 2.1 & 2.2 (Conventional Fossil Fuel energy vs Nuclear Energy)
 ENERGY RESOURCES/SOURCES
• A resource: is a stock or supply of something that is readily available
• A source: is a place where something originates
• When describing energy, the two words “resource” and “source” are used interchangeably

• Educational Video link (already posted on D2L):

https://avod-infobase-com.libproxy.mtroyal.ca/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=34727

This educational video describes various types of energy resources, how they
are formed and benefits and challenges of various energy resources. This also
provides us an understanding of current and future energy situation.
However, please note that this video was published in 2006, since then, more
energy efficient and cost-effective technologies have evolved.
• Some links to latest news on energy and energy resources are included
on the last slide of this PowerPoint presentation.
 WORLD ENERGY CONSUMPTION
• Energy is essential for sustaining our lives
and economic growth
Primary energy consumption vs time (years: 1994 to 2019)
• As shown by the graph, the global primary
energy consumption continue to increase
• Energy
source with time. The world’s energy supply
consists mostly of fossil fuels namely oil,
coal and natural gas and according to the
Energy unit graph, fossil fuels are likely to continue to
= exajoules account for majority of the overall energy
(EJ)
supply for a very long time. However, as
the growth of renewables and nuclear
energy gains traction, we could expect that
the share of these energies will increase,
and that the fossil fuels will decrease.

Source: BP statistical review of world energy

https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-
economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2020-full-report.pdf
 ENERGY RESOURCES/SOURCES

• Fossil fuels
• Nuclear
• Renewables
 FOSSIL FUELS
• Fossil fuels are formed from the decayed remains of the plants and animals
• Coal • nonrenewable
• finite resources
• Natural gas • hydrocarbons
• emit greenhouse gases when
• Crude oil burned (e.g. CO2)

• Greenhouse gases (e.g. CO2) trap the heat, warming up the Earth’s surface and the lower
atmosphere. Therefore, greenhouse gases keep our planet livable by retaining some of sun’s energy
in the atmosphere.
• However, increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can cause Earth's temperature to
rise above the normal levels (“global warming”) which can be dangerous.
• As scientists predict: “the warmer it gets, the more severe the impacts on people and the
environment will be”
• The burning (or combustion) of fossil fuels ( ↑ CO2 levels in the atmosphere ) has been identified
as one of the main causes of global warming
 Three types of fossil fuels
• Coal:
– sedimentary rocks that burns (organic).
– e.g. C137H97O9NS : bituminous coal
Burning fossil fuels (e.g. coal) yields carbon dioxide, water and energy
(heat); the process of burning fossil fuels is known as “combustion”.
Electricity is generated by transforming mechanical energy (heat) to
electrical energy in a turbine or generator.
• Natural Gas https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Coal_fired_power_plant_diagram.svg/2000p
x-Coal_fired_power_plant_diagram.svg.png

– trapped in underground coal seams by water and

ground pressure
– methane: largest component in Natural gas
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O

• Crude Oil

Syncrude's Mildred Lake plant in the Athabasca Oil Sands ;Alberta

By The Interior (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Oil sands: thick mixture of sand, water,

clay and bitumen; further processed
By Flcelloguy at the English language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2351321
CC BY-SA 3.0, before sending to a oil refinery
 CARBON EMISSIONS
• Coal: 1001 g/kWh
• Oil: 840 g/kWh
• Natural Gas: 469 g/kWh
• The cleanest burning fossil
fuel is natural gas
https://cna.ca/why-nuclear-energy/clean/life-cycle-emissions/ (accessed Sep 2018)

Future of fossil fuels:

• Although fossil fuels are an invaluable global energy source, fossil fuels produce large quantities of
carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned.
• Development of new technologies for efficient and cleaner use of fossil fuels is crucial to
mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and manage the impacts of climate change.
• On-going research:
• Carbon capture and storage: removing excess CO2 from the atmosphere
• Convert CO2 into useful products
Links to some research articles: Transforming carbon dioxide into jet fuel: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20214-z
A fossil fuel technology that doesn't pollute: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180102134833.htm
Nuclear energy
 WHAT IS NUCLEAR ENERGY?
• Nuclear energy is energy stored in the nucleus (core) of an atom
– Energy is released by a nuclear reaction
• could be a fission or a fusion reaction
• Nuclear fission: splitting
of heavy unstable
nucleus into lighter
nuclei releasing energy

https://nuclear.duke-energy.com/2013/01/30/fission-vs-fusion-whats-the-difference

• Nuclear fusion: process where two light nuclei combine together to

form heavier nucleus, releasing energy
 NUCLEAR FUSION
• E.g. Sun’s energy is produced by nuclear fusion
– Hydrogen nuclei are converted to Helium
(chain reaction)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/oursolarsystem/5199533619
• Why nuclear fusion is still not used to produce power? Credit: NASA/European Space Agency

– progress is slow due to challenges with understanding

how to control the reaction in a contained space
– expensive to create the needed conditions for a
fusion reaction
– Research continues: small fusion reactors are being
tested
https://nuclear-energy.net/what-is-nuclear-energy/nuclear-fusion
 NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION
• Neutron induced nuclear fission reaction is
used to produce power in current reactors:
– bombard U-235 unstable isotope with
high-speed neutrons
– This leads to a chain reaction

235 141 92
92U + 10n → 56Ba + 36 kr + 10n + 10n + 10n + Energy

• How fission controlled:

– Neutron absorbing elements control the
amount of free neutrons
• control rods that are made of a
strongly neutron-absorbent material
such as boron or cadmium
CC by-nc-sa 3.0 license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/
https://www.duek-energy.com/about-energy/generating-electricity/nuclear-how.asp
3.0/); Principles of General Chemistry (v. 1.0) by Bruce A. Averill, Patricia Eldredge
• Nuclear reaction – used to generate nuclear energy

235 141 92
92U + 10n → 56Ba + 36 kr + 10n + 10n + 10n + Energy (Heat)

• Chemical reaction
– e.g. Combustion reaction – used to generate fossil fuel energy

CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O + Energy (Heat)

 NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION
• Generated heat (by the fission
reaction) turns water into steam,
which in turn drives turbine
generators to produce electricity

http://www.revisescience.co.uk/2011/images/nuclearpower.jpg

• How does a nuclear power plant differ

from a coal power plant? Coal fired power plant
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Coal_fired_power_plant_diagram.svg/2000px-Coal_fired_power_plant_diagram.svg.png
 WHY NUCLEAR ENERGY?
• Low Pollution: lower CO2 gas emissions (power plant operation: zero
emissions)
• Technology is readily available (it does not have to be developed first)

• Powerful and Efficient : approximately, one kilogram of uranium-235 contains

two to three million times more energy than the same amount of coal or
oil.
• Video: debate: Does the world need nuclear energy?
https://www.ted.com/talks/stewart_brand_mark_z_jacobson_debate_does_the_wo
rld_need_nuclear_energy?hasSummary=true&language=en

https://www.euronuclear.org/info/encyclopedia/f/fuelcomparison.htm
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-nuclear-energy.php
ELECTRICITY GENERATION USING NUCLEAR ENERGY
• Global nuclear capacity reached
383 gigawatts (GW) in 2015
• Currently, 31 countries have
nuclear power programs:
– 441 operating reactors
• An additional 60 reactors are
under construction in 15
countries, adding 59 GW of
electricity generating capacity
over the next decade

Sources: http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=28112
RENEWABLE ENERGY
• Renewable energy is the energy obtained from natural resources
that can be naturally replenished or renewed within a human lifespan,
that is, the resource is a sustainable source of energy
e.g.
• Solar energy
• Hydro power
• Bioenergy: Biomass fuels
• Wind power
• Geothermal energy
• Ocean energy
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/renewable-electricity/7295#what
Here are some links to articles about energy resources published in science daily
(Science daily is a website that summarizes latest scientific research news, and
please note the content of the original research articles are edited for style and
length.) :
Please note these links are already posted the course D2L site.
1. Can we meet global energy demands with nuclear power?
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161109
110926.htm
2. Future of nuclear energy
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180907
110524.htm
3. Modelling a future fuelled by sustainable energy
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181030
093655.htm